Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 7.1–7.9 in
18–20 cm - Weight
- 1.6–2.8 oz
46–78 g
Other Names
- Bécasseau roussâtre (French)
- Correlimos canelo, Chorlito canela (Spanish)
Cool Facts
- The Buff-breasted Sandpiper is unique among North American shorebirds in having a lek mating system. Males defend relatively small territories that provide no resources for females and are simply display sites to which females can be attracted. Females select a mate and then leave to nest and raise their chicks elsewhere.
Habitat
Grassland
Breeds in dry, grassy tundra. On migration and in winter found in dry grasslands (usually short grass), pastures, plowed fields and, rarely, mudflats.
Food
Insects
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 2–5 eggs
- Condition at Hatching
- Active and covered with down.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Conservation
Near Threatened
Population declined from millions to near extinction by 1920s. Numbers appeared to increase, but may be declining again.
Credits
- Lanctot, R. B. and C. D. Laredo. 1994. Buff-breasted Sandpiper (Tryngites subruficollis). In The Birds of North America, No. 91 (A. Poole and F. Gill, Eds.). Philadelphia: The Academy of Natural Sciences; Washington, D.C.: The American Ornithologists' Union.